


Remember Me This Way

by HopelessRomantic1020



Series: Fodlan Shenanigans [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/M, First Love, Fluff and Humor, Post-Time Skip, Pre-Time Skip, School Dances, Self-Indulgent, Song Lyrics, Teacher-Student Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-26
Updated: 2019-07-26
Packaged: 2020-07-19 21:34:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19980847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HopelessRomantic1020/pseuds/HopelessRomantic1020
Summary: On the suggestion (read: orders) of Archbishop Rhea, Byleth attends the annual Officers Academy ball.Dancing ensues.





	Remember Me This Way

**Author's Note:**

> I KNOW THIS ISN'T AN UPDATE OF ONE OF MY ONGOING FICS I'M SORRY ;_; 
> 
> I just wrote this little piece while listening to music on a plane and thought I should post it before 3H proper comes out. I'm so excited!

The night of the ball had finally reared its head as the Officers Academy’s students eagerly waltzed all across the golden-lit ballroom. Most of the professors and even a few Knights of Seiros signed on to attend the dance as chaperones, and Byleth had somehow been roped into being one of them.

 _This is ridiculous_ , he thought as he tugged on his collar. When he’d admitted to Manuela that he didn’t have anything that could be remotely considered “formal attire”, she managed to find an outfit that fit the bill. A dressy white shirt accompanied black slacks and boots wonderfully, topped off by a hat that reminded Byleth of a ship captain for some reason. 

“I look like an idiot,” he deadpanned, still staring at his reflection in the mirror.

“You look wonderful.” Manuela clasped her hands together, beaming with pride. “Honestly, I don’t see why you have such reservations about going to the ball in the first place. It’s not like you have two left feet or anything... Do you?”

“Both of my feet are fine, thank you.” Byleth swallowed a lump in his throat. “I just... don’t belong there.”

It sounded silly enough, but he only said it to mask the true reason why he wasn’t keen on going. As the Black Eagles’ teacher, he’d grown to appreciate them all during the last few months, but there was one in particular he felt he appreciated just a little too much.

Edelgard. House Leader of the Black Eagles and heir apparent to the Adrestian Empire. 

Of all the people, why her? Why any student first and foremost, but... Why _her_? If any of the other students or faculty members—or Edelgard’s _parents_ , Seiros forbid—found out, there’d surely be hell to pay. 

Still, he couldn’t help it. Edelgard may have appeared cold to some of the others, but she always approached him with a warm smile and took his advice to heart. He’d never forget the time he invited her out to tea and somehow managed to make her laugh, the sweet melody haunting him for weeks afterwards.

 _You did this to yourself, you know_ , Sothis chided inside his head. _Had you simply distanced yourself from her like a professional, you wouldn’t have let yourself fall for her to begin with._

“Thanks for pointing out the obvious, Sothis. However would I manage without your expertise?”

“Who’s Sothis?”

Byleth froze, only now remembering that Manuela was still in the room. He decided to just tell her the truth, figuring that being hauled away to a mental asylum would still be preferable to attending a formal ball. “Oh, she’s the voice in my head that tells me what to do. She means well, but she’s a little chatty.”

Manuela blinked for a moment before bursting into uproarious laughter, playfully slapping his arm. “Ahahahaha! Byleth, you are SUCH a card! That’s hilarious!”

"Heh..." He forced a smile. "Hilarious... yeah."

_Hmph! I don’t see what she of all people is laughing at. At least I don’t eat sandwiches off of the floor like an animal._

_Three second rule, Sothis_ , Byleth shot back internally.

 _Ugh! Disgusting!_

Byleth smirked before he found his arm in Manuela's grasp, the older professor giving him an eager grin. "Come along, darling. You're simply going to _love_ the music selection tonight! Let's not be late now."

"Goddess help me..." 

* * *

“Oh, Edelgard, you look so perfect tonight!” Dorothea cheered, brushing her friend's ivory locks as they sat before a grand mirror.

“You think so?” Edelgard gave herself a once-over and frowned. “I always look like this…”

“Nooo! There’s something different about you, I can feel it! Hmm… Let’s see…” She placed a finger to her chin and tapped it several times, deep in thought. A smile came to Dorothea's face as she found a possible answer. “Ooh! I know! You’re totally crushing on someone!”

“R-ridiculous!” Edelgard’s face went bright red as she grew defiant. “Such childish feelings are beneath me…”

“Nuh-uh! Girls look prettier when they’re in love! I read it in a scientific journal once!”

“Dorothea, _Garreg Mach Monthly Magazine_ is not a legitimate source. Didn’t Professor go over that in class when Caspar tried to use it for his essay?”

Dorothea’s face fell, but she perked up just as quickly. “Oh, yeah… Hee hee. But still! You’re totally crushing on someone and I can prove it!”

“ _How_ , exactly?”

“Is it Hubert?”

Edelgard sighed. “No, Dorothea.”

“Caspar?”

“Nope.”

“Ferdinand?”

“Dorothea, I swear to the _goddess_ —“

“But the only other option is Linhardt!” Dorothea’s face went bright red immediately. “Unless it’s one of us gals…?”

“I am _not_ crushing on anyone!” Edelgard yelled, her brow furrowed and her face like a tomato. She hated showing such a display of emotion, but even _her_ patience had its limits. “Especially not Professor Byleth!”

The brunette winked. “I never mentioned the professor, now did I?” 

“... Ah!”

Dorothea fell backwards and clutched her side as she giggled, her iconic hat nearly falling off in the process. Edelgard, meanwhile, could only fume in silence as she glared at her. “Th-that doesn’t mean anything! It was a mere slip of the tongue!” 

“Hee hee hee... But you _do_ like him, don’t you?”

“I…” Edelgard wrung her hands together, silently cursing herself for acting like such a foolish schoolgirl and not a future emperor. “I appreciate his teachings, and I think he’s a very capable fighter in his own right. I’ll never forget the time he rescued us from that bandit ambush…”

“It sounds like you have the big admiration for Professor Byleth,” Petra said, walking into Edelgard's room with a grin. "Do you also find him quite the handsome?"

“Petra! Not you too!”

“Oh, she does.” Dorothea smirked. “She’s got it _baaad_.”

Petra tilted her head and frowned. "Got what bad? Is Edelgard sick?”

“No!” Edelgard placed a hand to her forehead and sighed. “Look, Petra, I assure you that Dorothea’s just joking. It’s a cruel and not funny-in-the-slightest joke, but a joke all the same.”

“But don’t you think he's charming?”

“That has nothing to do with anything!”

“I’m not hearing a no,” Dorothea sang.

“Well I’m not saying a _yes_ ,” Edelgard huffed, standing from her chair. “Dorothea, I _implore_ you—“

“What’s the big deal, anyway? Byleth’s not a bad looking guy in the slightest! He’s also pretty clever, which is a plus, and—“

Edelgard buried her scarlet face in her hands and let out an exasperated groan. Her pale skin only served to make her incessant blushing all the more obvious. So what if she thought Byleth was handsome and kind and supportive? He was her _teacher_! _T_ _heir_ teacher! Such feelings were surely inappropriate, even if nothing came of them.

“Perhaps you and Professor can do the dancing at tonight’s ball?”

“Petra, please—“

“Yeah! I’m sure he’d love to,” Dorothea chimed in. She smirked when she saw her house leader’s still-crimson face. “ _After_ he and I share a dance, of course. Then he’s all yours, Edel.”

“Why me?” Edelgard groaned again. 

As Dorothea and Petra continued to chat excitedly about the upcoming dance (and how they’d force Bernadetta out of her room to join them), Edelgard slumped back into her chair and huffed. It wasn’t as though she had self-esteem issues, and it certainly wasn’t that she was afraid to dance; House Leaders historically waltzed with a number of their fellow students, after all.

But with her own _teacher_ , who already had his fair share of admirers to begin with… 

_Stop_ , she told herself. _Just… be professional about this, Edelgard. This is just a silly schoolgirl crush. I’m sure I’ll get over it in due time…_

* * *

"So you're telling me," Caspar said, "that the Archbishop holds a ball every year for us students?" 

"Of course!" Ferdinand answered with confidence, hands on his hips. "Lady Rhea's balls are as elegant as they are extravagant!"

He paused as some of the other students, Caspar included, began to snicker. Linhardt rolled his eyes in response. "... What? Was it something I said?" 

The party was already in full swing when Byleth finally arrived—fashionably late, as Manuela described. Archbishop Rhea and Seteth sat towards the back of the ballroom, the former giving everyone a warm smile and the latter glaring at anyone who even thought about dancing with Flayn. The musicians on stage played a slow waltz as Edelgard and Dimitri lead their partners in an elegant dance. A large number of students had formed a circle around them, many of them members of one of the three houses.

“Well, well, well,” Claude uttered, approaching Byleth and looking him up and down. “Quite the outfit you’ve got there, Teach. For whom did you dress to impress?”

“No one,” Byleth answered, doing his best to remain dispassionate as always. He wasn’t exactly lying, and so he had no reason to get flustered, but he knew Claude would take any opportunity to tease him. 

“Is that right? I hear the ladies love a man in uniform. Maybe even some of us guys as well.”

“And what about you? I thought you’d be dancing with just about everyone.”

“Really?” Claude raised an eyebrow. “Why’s that?”

“Well, you’re quite the looker,” Byleth said. Seeing Claude’s amused expression caused him to amend his statement. “Ah… So I’ve heard, anyhow.”

“Riiight…”

Applause filled the room, and the two turned to see Edelgard and Dimitri finish their dances with their respective partners. Both of the other students bowed with red faces before hastily retreating into the crowd. The musicians announced that the next song played would be “freeform” in the sense that anyone could dance with… well, anyone else.

Despite his mind telling him no, Byleth’s eyes immediately drifted over to Edelgard. She was known for being rather serious despite her age, a side-effect of her royal upbringing no doubt, but it lifted his spirits whenever he got to see her smile like now.

_And her laugh… By the Goddess, her laugh..._

“Got someone special in mind, Teach?”

“Ah—NO!” Byleth answered a little too forcefully, getting some funny looks from the others. Claude stifled a chuckle as his cheeks went red. “Uh… Th-that is to say…”

“It’s fine.” Claude smiled. His jade gaze shifted over to the Adrestrian Empire’s future leader, and his grin faltered a bit. “I’ve seen the way you look at her, and I’m pretty sure she’s looked at you the same way on more than one occasion. What’s the harm in asking for a dance?”

Byleth’s face reddened a bit as he locked eyes with Edelgard from across the room. Her already-present grin only grew upon seeing him, and she seemed to beckon him forward with a hand as the other students (and Flayn) began to chant.

“DANCE! DANCE! DANCE!”

He looked over at Claude who merely patted him on the shoulder and winked before pushing him forward. Before he knew it, he was standing just a few feet away from Edelgard in the center of the dance floor.

“Good evening, Professor,” Edelgard greeted him, silently priding herself on not stuttering even as her heart fluttered. “I, um… You look well.”

 _Good! You look_ **_good_** _!_

“Ah… You think so?” Byleth ran a hand through turquoise hair. “Manuela picked this out for me. The clothes are okay, but I’m not too sure about the hat…”

Edelgard covered her mouth, giggling. “It’s not bad, actually. I doubt just anyone could pull it off, though…”

“Thank you… You, uh, look great too. By the way.”

She felt her cheeks start to heat up. “But… I always look like this…”

Byleth made eye contact again and grinned, having grown a bit bolder. “... I know.”

“Professor…" She held a gloved hand forward. "... Would you care to dance with me?”

“It would be an honor and a pleasure.”

The ever-growing audience cheered as the two finally assumed the position, Byleth standing a respectable distance from Edelgard. He was initially unsure of where to place his hands before she guided him, taking one of them into her own and allowing the other to rest on her waist. Both blushed at the contact but otherwise began to relax as they swayed back and forth to the music.

 _Don’t step on her toes, you lout_ , Sothis nagged.

_Shut up, Sothis!_

Despite his annoyance, he took her words to heart. Edelgard danced with the grace of a soaring eagle, but Byleth felt clumsy and awkward in comparison. Still, at least he hadn’t stepped on her foot… yet.

“You’re quite the dancer,” Edelgard complimented him.

“You’re just being polite.”

“I assure you I’m quite serious!” They continued to sway, turning in a circle as various other couples waltzed beside them. “One might expect a mercenary like yourself to have two left feet, but you’re really not bad at all… Have Manuela or Dorothea been giving you dancing lessons in private?”

“N-no.” Byleth blushed. “I just… read about it in a book once. Just in case…”

“Mm… I see. You know, ballroom dancing has never been a favorite activity of mine. But now that I’m here… with you…”

“Edelgard…”

The two fell silent, and it was only then that they realized Dorothea was singing alongside the musicians present. 

_And if you lose your way,_

_Think back on yesterday,_

_Remember me this way,_

_Remember me this way…_

Byleth wasn’t quite sure how it happened, but Edelgard had drawn closer to his person. Her arms had wrapped around his neck as she gazed up at him with a longing violet gaze. Her chest was practically pressed to his, and he almost felt as though he could feel her heart beating for a moment.

As blue eyes met lilac, his hands found themselves resting on Edelgard’s hips. If any of the spectators took issue with it, they didn’t voice their concerns. Edelgard, meanwhile, could only stare up at Byleth in utter bliss. She knew that people would talk in the morning, but she no longer cared. It was just a dance, right? As long as they didn’t kiss, it would be fine.

… But _Seiros_ did she want to kiss him.

Edelgard eventually settled for resting her head on Byleth’s shoulder, shutting her eyes and suppressing a sigh as his arms wrapped around her back.

The song eventually ended, and Dorothea received a great amount of applause for her performance before Petra eagerly took her hand and led her back to the dance floor. Even as her own heartbeat increased, the young songstress looked over at Byleth and Edelgard with a satisfied grin.

As the students applauded, Byleth separated from Edelgard and took a few steps backwards with his hands folded neatly behind him. Hubert gave him a steely glare from the corner of the room, but otherwise did nothing.

“That was… wonderful,” Edelgard said, catching her breath and wiping her forehead with a red handkerchief. “... Thank you, Byleth.”

He blushed upon hearing her address him by his name, and she immediately realized what she just said. “Ah! I mean—“

“Byleth is fine,” he said, smiling.

Edelgard returned the gesture, but was caught off guard by the sound of the violins. This next song was far faster, and someone else had taken Dorothea’s place as the lead vocalist.

_Girl I’ve known you very well,_

_Seen you growing every day,_

_I never really looked before,_

_But now you take my breath away..._

“Prof—Byleth,” Edelgard corrected herself. “I hate to ask this of you twice, but—“

“Of course,” he answered with a nod, adjusting his hat. “Let’s just, uh… go with the flow, yes?”

The two assumed their initial position as the song continued. Byleth cursed his cumbersome feet as he struggled to stay in time with the music, but Edelgard didn’t seem to mind in the slightest.

_More than a woman,_

_More than a woman to me,_

_More than a woman,_

_More than a woman to me!_

_Left foot, right foot,_ Byleth told himself. _Left foot, right foot_ …

At one point in the song, Edelgard had suddenly separated from Byleth and began to move from side to side, head bobbing along to the music. Byleth had no idea what to do—hell, he’d never even heard of this specific genre before—and so he did what mercenaries did best.

He improvised.

Tapping his foot to the beat, he balled his fists and spun them in front of him. Many of the students gawked at what appeared to be a new dance move, but Edelgard only laughed and clapped along in time to the music, encouraging him. Once he grew more confident, Byleth would occasionally stop spinning his hands and point outward before resuming. 

“Yeah! Go, Teach, go!” Claude yelled from the crowd excitedly. 

“Woah, awesome!” Annette complimented. 

“Superb technique, Professor!” Ferdinand exclaimed.

Edelgard could sense Byleth’s impending fatigue, and so she beckoned him back into her arms. He gave her a grateful smile as she began to take charge, leading him a few paces to the left and then back to the right with his hand clasped in hers. Occasionally, he would stop to spin her as the audience cheered. 

As one might expect, she was more than a little surprised when Byleth suddenly dipped her at the climax of the song.

_More than a woman,_

_(You are) More than a woman to me…_

Edelgard’s eyes were the size of saucer places as he brought her back up from the dip. She’d read about the technique once or twice, but she’d never danced with anyone bold enough to try it on her before.

“Sorry,” Byleth apologized. “I don’t know what came over me…”

“No, I…” She bit her lip. “I quite liked it, actually…”

“... Oh.”

The song drew to a close, and the two bowed their heads before parting amicably. Neither _truly_ wanted to leave the other, but people would almost certainly talk if they hogged each other for the rest of the night.

Not like they wouldn’t be talking _anyway_ , what with the crazy stunts Byleth just pulled.

 _I am so fired_ , Byleth thought to himself as many of the students cheered and clapped him on the back. He turned towards Rhea and smiled sheepishly. She gave him the same motherly smile she always did, but Seteth gave him a skeptical look. Flayn, meanwhile, beamed at him with rosy cheeks and two thumbs-up.

The teacher and heir apparent both mingled amongst their peers for the remainder of the night, including Dorothea and Manuela for the former and Dimitri and Claude for the latter. They only stopped when it was announced that there was only one song left to play. Many of the students picked a partner they were romantically interested in as the violinists played a romantic prelude.

Edelgard approached Byleth once more, uncharacteristically nervous as she wrung her hands before her. “Uh… I know I’ve already asked this of you twice, but…”

She took a deep breath and held a hand outward. Her face was on fire, but she refused to look away from him. “This could be our last dance for quite some time... Would you…?”

Byleth took her hand in his own, enjoying how well they fit together. His heartbeat sped up as he felt her warmth coincide with his own. “Now and always.”

The two began to sway back and forth, hearts beating in near unison as various other couples danced all around them. Dorothea had taken to the stage once more, singing as the musicians played their swan song.

_And it’s me you need to show,_

_How deep is your love?_

_How deep is your love?_

_How deep is your love?_

_I really mean to learn,_

_Cause we’re living in a world of fools,_

_Breaking us down,_

_When they all should let us be,_

“... We belong to you and me,” Edelgard finished, a smile on her face as she gazed up at her professor. “I’ve always loved this song. It's beautiful, isn't it?”

“ _Y_ _ou’re_ beautiful,” Byleth spoke without thinking.

“Byleth…" Suddenly she felt weak at the knee. "I lo—“

“Aaand there you have it, folks! Our last song of the night!” Dorothea yelled, earning applause and whistles as her accompanying musicians took a bow. Byleth and Edelgard had been so lost in the music and in each other’s eyes that they’d completely lost track of time. “Big thanks to Professor Manuela for helping us choose the music!" She blew a kiss towards her many admirers, cheeks reddening when she made eye contact with Petra. "Mwah! Good night, everybody!”

Byleth broke away from his partner and bowed his head, careful not to let his hat fall in the process. “I hope my dancing skills were satisfactory, Edelgard.”

“You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?” she asked, grinning and quirking an eyebrow. “But yes. You were wonderful tonight, Byleth. I… I had a great time.”

He moved his head back up and met her gaze once more. “... As did I, Edelgard.”

“Would you accompany me back to my room? Ordinarily Hubert would do it without question, but…” She paused to look at her retainer who was suddenly being surrounded by a multitude of female students. “... I suspect he’ll be far too busy tonight.”

Byleth offered his arm to her like a gentleman. “It would be my honor.”

* * *

The walk back to her room was largely silent save for the occasional musing about the weather. Soon enough, they reached the door to Edelgard's dorm. 

"I... I had a great time tonight, Byleth," Edelgard admitted, rubbing her arm. She looked up at him and smiled. "Truly. It's just a shame that the ball only rolls around once a year." 

"Y-yeah," Byleth said. He forced himself to ignore Sothis's mockery of his stammer. "Um, well... I suppose I'll be seeing you tomorrow then?" 

"Bright and early for class," she said. Feeling a bit braver than before, Edelgard stepped forward and kissed him on the cheek.

"E-Edelgard!" 

"I... I'm sorry." She bowed her head and refused to meet his eye, turning on her heel. "G-good night, Professor!" 

She slammed the door shut before he could respond, cheeks and heart aflame. Byleth stood in the same spot, holding his cheek and staring at the door.

"... Good night, Edelgard. Sweet dreams." 

* * *

Five long years had passed since that night. Though Edelgard had taken up her father's mantle as Emperor of the Adrestian Empire and managed to gather all of her former Black Eagles at the Garreg Mach Monastery, not a day went by where she didn't think of the time she'd spent with Byleth. 

And then he had to disappear, with no way of her knowing whether or not he was even still _alive_... 

She heard a knock at her bedroom door, the same dorm she resided in during her time as a student. 

"Milady?" Hubert called, urgency present in his voice. 

"What is it, Hubert?" she asked, opening the door. Her retainer's face was as pale as ever, dark hair still covering one eye. "Is it an ambush?" 

"No." He shook his head, the ghost of a smile gracing his otherwise grim features. "It's the professor. We've found him." 

Edelgard's eyes widened for a brief moment, her heart skipping a beat, before she managed to get a hold of herself. "... Lead the way." 

Hubert wasted no time in bringing his emperor to the courtyard of the monastery. All of their old friends were already there, surrounding a familiar black-clad figure as Linhardt healed him with glowing hands.

"... That should do it," he said, nodding. "How are you feeling, Professor? Can you hear me? Do you remember me?"

The man groaned, light green hair cascading down his face as he turned his head to get a better look. "You... You're Linhardt." 

Linhardt gave him a rare smile. "I am... Welcome back, old friend." 

"Ooh! Ooh!" an excitable voice cheered, belonging to an armored blue-haired man. "Do me next!" 

"... Caspar." 

Byleth looked around, naming all of the Black Eagles correctly before his gaze finally landed on Hubert and Edelgard. Hubert looked stone-faced as ever, but he swore he saw a look of bittersweet joy on the emperor's face. "... Hubert? And... Edelgard? Is... Is that you?" 

Edelgard rushed forward immediately, kneeling down to grasp her former teacher in a warm embrace. "Byleth! It's you! It... It's really you. Where did you go? Why did you leave me?" 

"Woah," Dorothea said with a grin. "How come you never hold any of us like that, Edel?" 

Byleth stared up at Edelgard and blinked before giving her a somber smile. "I... I'm sorry, Edelgard. Truly, I am. I never meant to leave your side. The details are... complicated, I admit, but I'll explain on one condition." 

"You disappear on us for five _years_ and demand something of—" 

"Hubert. No," Edelgard criticized, turning her head to glare at him. He immediately backed down and folded his hands behind his back. Satisfied, Edelgard turned back to the man in her arms with a small smile of her own. "What is it, Byleth?" 

"I was a fool, Edelgard... A fool for disappearing without the chance to tell you how I feel. Can you ever forgive me?"

Edelgard let out a small laugh, a tear threatening to fall from her eye. "Yes, of course..." 

Her heart began to beat rapidly, a sensation she'd only ever felt in the heat of battle. Memories of that night they shared at the ball began to fill her mind as her vision began to blur. "Byleth, I..." 

The others gasped as she clutched their former professor's collar and pressed her lips to his own. Byleth let out a muffled squeak of surprise, green eyes widening, before he relaxed and began to kiss her back. Edelgard ran both of her hands in his long minty hair, savoring the sensation. Her emotions finally bubbled to the surface after five long years of uncertainty, and she no longer cared who knew about her feelings. 

"Aww yeah! Get some, Teach!" 

... Though she would almost certainly have to kill Caspar later. 

Edelgard finally broke the kiss, staring down at Byleth with half-lidded lilac eyes. "... I love you, Byleth. I always have." 

"I..." He gave her that same boyish smile he always had, his hands clasped in hers.

"I love you too, Edelgard. Now and forever." 

**Author's Note:**

> So this started as kind of a joke and then spiraled into something actually kinda heartfelt. Story of my life, I guess. ^^' I might edit this later, buuuuut...
> 
> Songs used were "Remember Me This Way" by Jordan Hill, "More Than a Woman" and "How Deep is Your Love" (both by the Bee Gees).
> 
> Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed, and Happy 3H Eve!


End file.
